Positive Emotions by Jane Thurnell-Read

Before you read any further just take two minutes to think about all the words we have to describe emotions. I want you to spend one minutes thinking of positive words (e.g. happy) and one minute thinking of negative words (e.g. sad).

If you are like most people, you will have found it much easier to think of negative emotions than to think of positive ones. When I was a student sociologist many years ago, I was taught that you could tell something about what was important to a culture by its language – the more words it had to describe something the more important that thing was to the culture. So, for example, Eskimos have a lot of different words for different types of snow, because traditionally snow was crucial to their existence.

So, does this mean that our cultures place more value on negative emotions than on positive emotions? In many ways I think they do. So let’s strike back and concentrate on positive emotions that make us feel good. To get you started here’s some ideas – not totally comprehensive, but just see how many of these positive life-affirming emotions and feelings you can experience today:

Adored
Affable
Affectionate
Agreeable
Amiable
Appreciated
At ease
Blessed
Blissful
Blithe
Calm
Carefree
Cheerful
Comfortable
Compassionate
Connected
Contented
Delighted
Ecstatic
Elated
Enchanted
Encouraged
Enthusiastic
Excited
Exhilarated
Floating on air
Friendly
Full of life
Gentle
Glad
Glowing
Good-natured
Gratified
Happy-go-lucky
Hopeful
Inspired
Jolly
Joyful
Joyous
Jubilant
Kind
Light-hearted
Lively
Loved
Lovable
Loving
Merry
On cloud nine
Optimistic
Overjoyed
Over the moon
Peaceful
Playful
Pleased
Positive
Radiant
Rapt
Respected
Satisfied
Serene
Sociable
Sparkling
Sunny
Sure
Sweet
Sweet-tempered
Tender
Thrilled
Unconcerned
Untroubled
Vibrant
Vital
Vivacious
Worthy

Copyright 2007 Jane Thurnell-Read | Read more articles on happiness